Allergy Testing

[SillyMe]

I took dd7 to the ER last night b/c she had trouble breathing again. She's been having problems off and on. I took her to the doctor about a month ago and he said he doesn't think it's asthma, it's probably allergies. So, last night it got worse than it ever was. She couldn't lay down b/c it made it even harder to breathe. She started crying saying she was afraid to go to sleep b/c she was afraid she'd stop breathing. She just couldn't catch her breath. So, I ran her over to the ER and they said they think it's allergies and they're referring her to a doc for an allergy panel. What do they do?

 

[Christine]

The most common form of testing is the skin scratch tests. As long as your DD doesn't have eczema, psoriasis, or some other inflammatory skin condition, these type of tests are pretty reliable. Usually they take a small 8-pronged device and gently press on the skin (usually on the back). Then they put a drop of the allergen on each skin indentation and then wait to see where you react. My son has had 20-30 allergens tested at one office visit.

The other method is call the CAP-RAST, I believe, and they draw a tube(s) of blood and test it for allergens in a laboratory.

There are pros and cons to each test.

It seems odd that your DD would be having such a severe reaction and they are not calling it "asthma". It may be due to some type of allergen but it still sounds like asthma.

 

[KariC]

Some times they do the opposite with scratch testing....place the allergen on the skin, then scratch. My twins' allergist gives us a 'script for a numbing cream that we apply before hand. It helps with the "scratch"....which I don't ever remember as painful (first testing done for me at 3....many since then), but it really helped with the itching after the reactions to allergens.

Some allergic reactions can cause respiratory reactions that will lead to anaphylactic shock that don't necessarily involve asthma. i.e. Im my case, a peanut allergy or a latex allergy can cause breathing problems that no amount of asthma medicine could prevent. And I do have both....

Good luck. Allergies are much easier to cope with than many other serious medical problems. And many allergies are easily controlled by avoiding the allergans and there are great medicines out there today for kids and adults!

 

[llp479]

Allergies can cause an asthmatic reaction. Have they ever tried giving her an inhaler to help during these attacks? I am allergic to a yellow dye which causes this type of reaction. It was quite scary and I went to the allergist to try to determine what was causing the reaction. Turned out I was allergic to a ton of other things as well.

I would follow through with the allergy testing. Since I went 4 years ago, my quality of life is much improved. I used to have "colds" and sinus infections several times a year, and have had virtually none since I started taking antihistamines.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I had the scratch test done on my back and hated it with a passion. I had something like 80 done at one time. Someone else once told me for a child to request 20 at a time with 10 on each arm as the skin on the arm is a bit more thick and wouldn't hurt them as much but then you'd see the needle scratch thingy coming at you so I don't know.

I think first the allergies should be tested because it could some kind of asthma induced from allergy/sinus problems. They could put your daughter on some allergy meds and possible little asthma med to keep any breathing issues in check. After the allergy testing is complete and you don't see a change or you think it should be done sooner, take your daughter to a pulmonologist and ask for some breathing tests to be done. Good luck I hope things work out quickly. I know how miserable your baby girl can be.

 

[SillyMe]

Allergies can cause an asthmatic reaction. Have they ever tried giving her an inhaler to help during these attacks? I am allergic to a yellow dye which causes this type of reaction. It was quite scary and I went to the allergist to try to determine what was causing the reaction. Turned out I was allergic to a ton of other things as well.

I would follow through with the allergy testing. Since I went 4 years ago, my quality of life is much improved. I used to have "colds" and sinus infections several times a year, and have had virtually none since I started taking antihistamines.

My doc gave her Zyrtec to take daily. Then last night at the ER they gave her a steroid that they give asthmatics. They also gave me a prescription of the steroid meds.

 

[firemanslady09]

My son has allergies and severe asthma. He is 7. I totally understand how scary and nerve racking this is for you. My thoughts and prayers go out to both of you. For his allergy testing they take a small needle the size of the tip of a pen, they have whatever # of them they want to test the child for an allergy to. For example, my ds had 30 his last round of allergy testing. Once the results of the skin scratch test are in they do another round where they actually inject the allergen under the skin. For my sons last one there were 20, 10 in each arm. Allergy docs usually treat asthma too. So it is good she is seeing one of them. Feel free to pm me if you want.

 

[Tinijocaro]

When ds was 8, he had a cold and was wheezing, one night, it got much worse when he layed down, so I took him to the er. He had a pneumomediastinum, which is when one or several of the lung sacks pop. He spent two days in the hospital on oxygen and has been fine ever since. They found it through an xray of his lungs.

 

[okeydokey]

My son began this process at age 5. He was up all night coughing due to his allerigies. Not to scare you away from it, but be aware, the skin test was pretty horrible. They used 4 panels of 8 needles and pressed them very hard onto his back. He screamed and cried. Then the welts appeared. Huge welts. Turned out he was very very allergic to dust mites and pretty allergic to a lot of other things like grasses, trees, dogs, cats etc. That being said, we started him on allergy shots (twice a week for a month or so, then once a week for 3 months, then every other week for 6-9 months, with a co-pay each time etc etc.) He doesn't like the shots, they sometimes make him cry but he's been a trooper.

The good news, he no longer coughs at night. His asthma is under control and he is soooo much better. In a couple of years we hope to be finished with the shots. He is also taking advair which has helped tremendously. He started twice a day and is down to once a day. So overall, it has not been a fun experience but is has been so worth it.

 

[KariC]

Some times they do the opposite with scratch testing....place the allergen on the skin, then scratch. My twins' allergist gives us a 'script for a numbing cream that we apply before hand. It helps with the "scratch"....which I don't ever remember as painful (first testing done for me at 3....many since then), but it really helped with the itching after the reactions to allergens.

Some allergic reactions can cause respiratory reactions that will lead to anaphylactic shock that don't necessarily involve asthma. i.e. Im my case, a peanut allergy or a latex allergy can cause breathing problems that no amount of asthma medicine could prevent. And I do have both....

Good luck. Allergies are much easier to cope with than many other serious medical problems. And many allergies are easily controlled by avoiding the allergans and there are great medicines out there today for kids and adults!

Sorry, re-read my post and it might sound confusing. Didn't mean for that at all! I'm just pointing out that SOMETIMES a breathing reaction MIGHT NOT mean asthma....especially if they couldn't hear wheezing at the ER. However, sometimes a cough is some asthmatics form of wheezing, so it could be easy to miss. Sorry if I confused anyone! Not that any of the PP sounded confused, I just didn't want anyone reading to think it was

 

[LaraK]

We've done all the allergy testing....skin test for the IgE allergins, RAST testing for IgE allergins and patch testing for T-Cell allergins. I think one of the important things is to set your kids up for what to expect. Yes, they're going to stick her, but it shouldn't hurt as much as her regular shots. DS was very very young when we started this process (he was diagnosed with asthma at 9 mos. and had projectile vomiting that did turn out to be food allergies, just not what your used to). All of my son's conditions are intertwined into an auto immune disorder. It is much better to go through the initial trauma of the testing to get to the root cause and change your lifestyle. Then you will sleep better at night. Feel free to PM me if you want more detail on the testing we did.

One other thing It is really hard to be a mommy going through this. I have been there. You feel guilt, frustration, anger and fear. It's normal and there are plenty of other mommies out there ready to give you support if you need it too.

 

[SillyMe]

We've done all the allergy testing....skin test for the IgE allergins, RAST testing for IgE allergins and patch testing for T-Cell allergins. I think one of the important things is to set your kids up for what to expect. Yes, they're going to stick her, but it shouldn't hurt as much as her regular shots. DS was very very young when we started this process (he was diagnosed with asthma at 9 mos. and had projectile vomiting that did turn out to be food allergies, just not what your used to). All of my son's conditions are intertwined into an auto immune disorder. It is much better to go through the initial trauma of the testing to get to the root cause and change your lifestyle. Then you will sleep better at night. Feel free to PM me if you want more detail on the testing we did.

One other thing It is really hard to be a mommy going through this. I have been there. You feel guilt, frustration, anger and fear. It's normal and there are plenty of other mommies out there ready to give you support if you need it too.

My dd had the projectile vomiting when she was a baby, too. We put her on soy formula and she was fine.

When I had her at the doctor last month, he said it was allergies just by looking at her eyes. She has always had those red circles under her eyes (off and on). I never realized it was from allergies. The testing sounds awful, but I'd really like to find out what exactly she's allergic to so we can possibly do something about it.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

The testing sounds awful, but I'd really like to find out what exactly she's allergic to so we can possibly do something about it.

DD had the grid panel testing about 2 years ago. and it wasn't that bad for her. They dip the grid in 20 possible allergens then they "stamp" in on your back, not hard, not needles, just put it on your back. They wait about 20 minutes for reactions, and voila, you find out what you're allergic to. DD went in for the peanut part, we needed to check the severity of it. The peanut part welted up in about 10 seconds - VERY SEVERE. Dr. took that part off her skin immediately.

DD also has problems breathing sometimes (I can hear her weezing SOMETIMES) Dr. said that it is NOT asthma, but an allergic reaction.

 

[SillyMe]

Should I write down everything she ate and what she was in contact with yesterday before this started?

 

[firemanslady09]

Most definitely. Start using a chart and put down what she ate, what the weather is like. What she did. That will help determine a pattern. Good Luck!

 

[VirtuallyMe]

Not an authority on allergy other than personal experience...

I was tested twice-

once as a five year old- where the "quack" tested me with the shots (allergen administered just under the skin) on my back- he did over 140 I think this was back in the early 70's and all I remember about it was being in a room with low lights and begging for them to stop- the result of those tests- was that I was basically allergic to everything and put on a special diet- and I think some vitamin supplement he was selling- I ended up very ill- spent 6 weeks in the hospital- two under the quack and the other 4 recovering from his damage when one of the pediatricians saw my mom and asked why she was there and pulled her aside and said- if you want your daughter well- fire him and go tell the nurses she is now under his care- not fun and basically- although I was truly allergic to many things- my allergies were discounted and I was left to deal with it...

Go through a few decades and some of my allergies get worse- some basically don't bother me if I avoid the stuff- and I could easily tell you that I was allergic to most pollens, molds, dust mites and ants. I actually had an anaphylactic reaction to ants and since then- all my allergic reactions are asthma-like and although I don't take regular allergy medicine I do have a rescue inhaler and epi pen as needed... This worsening of allergies led me to the second time I got tested

which was just last year- I was not tested at my first appointment with the allergist= at that time she took a thorough history of any and all symptoms I've had- easier for an adult or a very verbal child- but for young children you have to go by symptoms you see and notice - so obviously some will be missed because you are not aware your child is even having them- as a result of that she figured I was allergic to many things and felt I probably had at least one food allergy.

She was to have me return for testing in 6 weeks- with getting the skin tests done first and then the oral tests. When I left I left with diet instructions to follow a modified "caveman" diet- basically I could eat anything a cave man would have eaten with the exception of the 8 major allergens and strawberries... (no processed foods, no grains (corn, wheat, oats, etc), eggs, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, strawberries, and I'm sure I'm missing something)- basically I could have meat, vegetables, fruits- not the easiest diet but I lost 20 pounds in 6 weeks following it... The reason for the diet was to take all exposure to these allergens out of my system so that I would react to them more fully when she did the oral challenge. I was also instructed to avoid antihistamines and other allergy medications for that time period-

They did 39 allergens and a control in three sets on my forearms and one upper arm- I waited in the office for the results then- and about 1 hour or so later they determined that I was allergic to everything but about 6 or so items had questionable results and so they did a subcutaneous injection in the upper arm that they hadn't previously used for those things and then I waited again... the result there- was that I was allergic to all 29 items tested for and moderately to severly on all 29- that would be the molds, pollens (tree, grass, weeds), cockroaches, cats, dogs, dust mites and I'm sure I'm missing something they tested. I left with instructions that I could go ahead and take an antihistamine and the next day my asthma was worse and the put me on steroids too...

Three days after the skin testing they did the oral challenges- this is a subjective (on patients part) test for food allergies- basically drops of the allergen are placed under the tongue until a reaction occurs or a certain amount of time passes- I was to be tested for all 8 of the major food allergens but they only got as far as wheat- and two drops under my tongue and I had an anaphylactic reaction- after a dose of benedryl and a hit with the epi pen- the testing was stopped- and I was told to give it another week and slowly reintroduce the other foods back into my diet one at a time- to stop that item if any cause any symptoms but to never eat wheat again lol

I did start on allergy drops- these are sublingual (under the tongue) drops that are the same as getting shots- although you have to take them as often as 3 times a day and every day at that- and shots are once maybe twice a week- I finished a few rounds of those before our insurance determined that they would not pay for this cheaper/less invasive form of treatment- and I had to pay out of pocket- then lost my job working at the same clinic that the allergist worked in- and now I refuse to give the clinic my money again- so I am off all allergy desensitizing medications- I was getting the drops for the 29 enviromental allergens and wheat- but the wheat they were giving me was basically almost all control-

Now when I was seeing the doctor I did ask about testing my children- my two youngest have more allergies then the older two- and one is now 2 1/2 and then a year younger- she said for him- she would do the RAST or blood testing mentioned earlier- and if needed do skin testing on his back depending on those results...

As for myself and this severe allergy to wheat- bread was something I probably had daily- in some form or the other- for most of my life- When I told my mom about my severe reaction when I was getting tested she said, "Oh yeah, well that was one of the things you were allergic to when you were a little girl" LOL gee thanks mom- she knew I was getting tested and all I remembered was that I wasn't supposed to have regular milk- so soy was given (yuck) and I couldn't have "store bought" foods- so I knew there was a preservative I was allergic to supposedly- no where did I get wheat allergy ever- So the 6 weeks without was enough time for my body to develop a severe reaction with it- and since my tests I have inadvertantly gotten wheat a few times- usually hidden like in bacon bits (artificial) or from oil that has friend wheat items but the allergy is still as severe.

My sister later got tested too- and she had several of the same allergies but not to the same extent as mine - but at Christmas she insisted that my avoiding wheat was silly and that the allergist told her the foods she was allergic to she could eat- she didn't seem to understand the difference in severity so I just told her- to eat what she wants and I will eat what I need to make sure I stay safe and healthy...

By the way- since taking wheat out of my diet- (although plenty of alternatives for it so I am not doing without) I have lost another 40 pounds without doing anything else...

Goodluck with your child-

 

[LaraK]

My dd had the projectile vomiting when she was a baby, too. We put her on soy formula and she was fine.

When I had her at the doctor last month, he said it was allergies just by looking at her eyes. She has always had those red circles under her eyes (off and on). I never realized it was from allergies. The testing sounds awful, but I'd really like to find out what exactly she's allergic to so we can possibly do something about it.

My son's projectile vomiting was origonally attributed to GERD (which can also cause increased wheezing in asthmatics)...however, because his symptoms continued after treatment, they did an endoscpy and found he had eosinophilic esophigitis. (very rare, but becoming more common) The vomiting was actually being cause by bizzarre food allergies (pear, turkey, chocolate and bananas). The asthma was aggrevated by this, but environmental allergies had more of an impact...most specifically animal fur. He also flares whenever he has an upper respiratory infection of any kind (kind of a guaranteed trip the the hospital for us)

The RAST testing (which is just a single blood draw) should identify preliminary food allergies. The prick (skin) testing we found to be more geared to environmental allergies. The patch is for food allergies and takes 48-72 hours to complete (twice).

My son did very very well with his testing. Unfortunately, he's been stuck so many times, he doesn't even react to needles at this point (no crying at all). As horrible as it sounds, the kids will deal with the pain much easier than the parents.

 

[Nicolepa]

My dd had the projectile vomiting when she was a baby, too. We put her on soy formula and she was fine.

When I had her at the doctor last month, he said it was allergies just by looking at her eyes. She has always had those red circles under her eyes (off and on). I never realized it was from allergies. The testing sounds awful, but I'd really like to find out what exactly she's allergic to so we can possibly do something about it.

I just had my 6 yo done and it was a piece of cake. Less than a minute and the pokes were done. I chose to do it on her back so she couldn't scratch them. She also had it done at 2. She cried for a bit when she was 2 but not hearbreaking.

She also has the dark circles under her eyes and has had "respitory" issues for several years. She has been on Flovent for a year, albuterol for 3 and singular for a couple of months. She was very allergic to Dogs, less so to pollen & grass and cats.

 

[SillyMe]

Thank you for all the replies. Her appointment is next Wednesday. I imagine that will just be a consultation.

 

[Christine]

Thank you for all the replies. Her appointment is next Wednesday. I imagine that will just be a consultation.

Not necessarily. When I took my son, they tested him right then and there!